Census

Why we have a census

Scouts carry out an annual census to create a detailed picture of the young people and adults that make up our membership. It's not just about how many members we have, it's our chance to find out about the diversity and make up of Scouting in our communities. Knowing who our members are helps to better inform the services provided to meet the needs of our members.

So it's really important you provide us with the most accurate details possible about Scouting in your community and its members.

The youth census figures also provide information regarding the payment of the national membership fee for youth members and associated membership fees at various levels of the movement.

Getting more help with the census

We have written a guide for each of the main census return types and have also updating our FAQs

You get assistance from the Scout Support Centre by email support@scouts.org.uk or you could try Live Chat which can be found on our website.

Please note the Support Centre will be closed from the 24th December 2024 until the 2nd January 2025.

Getting started with the census

If you've never done the census before or want to prepare for it, we suggest you look through the return guides